Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-29
DAILY HERALD.
THE SOUTHERN GIRL.
what A New York Writer Thfnks
of Her.

OF Her.
The Southern girl, says White
Sulphur correspondent OF the New
YORK Times is "a type peculiar to the
aoil She resembles no other young
lady in the country. In thought, man
ner and methods she has a distinct
personality, and could be picked out
with ease in multitude.
AS rule, she is slender and strong.
She is reasonably well modelled, a ten
dency to tight lacing among the ira
ditions of her people had its natural
effect to some extent upon the figure.
She is generally good looking and
often very handsome. Her nervous
personality is of value in this dlrec-
ton, for her eyes are bright and her
perceptions quick. She is as rule
high spirited and somewhat self-willed.
She is harder to control than the
northern girl, and when she makes up
her mind to get married, and the old
people object, she usually carries out
the programme if it takes saddle
horse and railroad train to accom-
plish it. None the less, however, she
is unusually shrewd in determining her
choice, and does not usually make mis-
takes. She thinks for herself to greater
extent than is the case in other sec
tions, and is quite able to take care OF
herself under all the conditions that
environ her. She reads men cleverly
and is herself difficult to read. She
dresses we'll. Here she passes
through three chrysalis states daily,
appearing as new kind OF butterfly
each time. She dresses for the fore
noon, for example, in brown and
white silk; she appears at dinner in
lavender and white, and at supper is
panoplied for the ball. She is per-
fectly at home in decolette dress, and
likes it. She wears it with ease and
unconsciousness, however low it be in
front and back, just as her mother
and grandmother did. Between times
she wears a lawn tennis suit, and is
master of the situation whether it be
the tennis court, the promenade or
the ball room.
Her style is rather prononce. She
speaks in a high-keyed voice and talks
rapidly. She belongs to a society
called "The Growing Hens" She
speaks of her escort as her "man, !"
and the gentlemen in general as "the
men," She is never visible in public
without one of these useful and con-
yenient articles beside her. With him
she walks, rides-she rides well-sits
under parasol on the lawn, or adorns
q sofa in the hall corners. She also
chn cor, ~, window
The moment she attains popularity or
fame as belle, the sofa and the win
dow sill are her peculiar and chosen
arenas of fascination. Her converse
ton is directed mainly at the topics OF
the day, and badinage Of light and
airy character. Her age is from nine
teen to twenty-three. She never
passes the latter age. An OK team
could not make her. Her younger
sister, at that age which is generally
supposed to monopolize perfect inno-
cence of the world. and white dresses,
does not come here. She is kept at
home awaiting her sisters establish
ment, matrimonially, when she will
be allowed to come and do likewise.
The Southern girls particular spec
ialty is dancing. She can dance every
dance under the sun, including all the
tip-ups, kicks and running races which
have been invented by the dancing
master since dancing was taken from
the polite arts and raised to place
among athletic sports. She is the
most graceful of dancers, and would
rather dance than eat. This would
not be remarkable if it were confined
to the hotel here, for most of the
guests would rather dance than eat
what is brought them, but with her it
is generally true. She is as light as a
fairy, and graceful as could be de-
sired, and is so fond of floating over
the floor that she will dance with an
other girl rather than keep still.
The office of the chaperone seems
to be a purely perfunctory one here.
1t probably is elsewhere in the South,
for the Southern girl knows her world
and needs nobody to guide her. At
all events, the chaperone usually
keeps discreetly out OF the way, and
her charge is allowed the most perfect
freedom. This freedom she utilizes in
the most enjoyable manner, and with
the wisest discretion. In fact, the
Southern girl is a most clear-headed,
as we'll as companionable, young per-
son, and takes all the uncommon
events OF life, from torn dress while
dancing to a proposal of marriage.
with a coolness bordering upon ice
cream.